Egypt's president sets date for constitution vote

People wave Egyptian flags and hold a large poster with the portrait of President Mohammed Morsi, center, during a rally near Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
— AP

People wave Egyptian flags and hold a large poster with the portrait of President Mohammed Morsi, center, during a rally near Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
/ AP

A supporter holds a campaign poster depicting Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi at a rally in front of Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rallies, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, are seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)— AP

A supporter holds a campaign poster depicting Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi at a rally in front of Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rallies, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, are seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)
/ AP

Egyptian men hold a banner in Arabic that reads, "God's law...God's law," during a rally near the Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)— AP

Egyptian men hold a banner in Arabic that reads, "God's law...God's law," during a rally near the Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
/ AP

Supporters of President Mohammed Morsi, seen on t-shirt, pray a rally outside Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)— AP

Supporters of President Mohammed Morsi, seen on t-shirt, pray a rally outside Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.(AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)
/ AP

In this image made with a mobile phone camera, a supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a Quran at a rally in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president demonsteated across Egypt in support of the president. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which President Morsi hails, hopes for a large turnout at the Saturday rallies to counter opposition protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets twice this week opposing Morsi’s decrees last week to grant himself sweeping powers. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)— AP

In this image made with a mobile phone camera, a supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a Quran at a rally in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president demonsteated across Egypt in support of the president. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which President Morsi hails, hopes for a large turnout at the Saturday rallies to counter opposition protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets twice this week opposing Morsi’s decrees last week to grant himself sweeping powers. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)
/ AP

In this image made with a mobile phone camera, supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi march in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president demonsteated across Egypt in support of the president. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which President Morsi hails, hopes for a large turnout at the Saturday rallies to counter opposition protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets twice this week opposing Morsi’s decrees last week to grant himself sweeping powers. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)— AP

In this image made with a mobile phone camera, supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi march in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president demonsteated across Egypt in support of the president. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which President Morsi hails, hopes for a large turnout at the Saturday rallies to counter opposition protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets twice this week opposing Morsi’s decrees last week to grant himself sweeping powers. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)
/ AP

A supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a Quran and a poster of the president at a rally in front of Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rally, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, is seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)— AP

A supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a Quran and a poster of the president at a rally in front of Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rally, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, is seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)
/ AP

Supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi rally in front of Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rally, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, is seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)— AP

Supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi rally in front of Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt Saturday in support of Morsi and Islamic law. The rally, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, is seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract large opposition protests held this past week by liberal and secular groups who the Brotherhood say do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)
/ AP

CAIRO  Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi called Saturday for a referendum in two weeks on a contentious draft constitution, setting a date for another milestone in the country's transition to democracy. Widespread disputes over the charter and Morsi's recent seizure of near absolute power have marred the process and thrown the country into turmoil.

As has been the case in nearly two years since Hosni Mubarak was ousted, what should have been a cause for national celebration turned into dueling protests between opponents and supporters of how the transition has been managed- largely divided along Islamist and secular lines.

More than 100,000 Morsi supporters organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafi groups took to the streets of Cairo and other cities a day after a massive opposition demonstration against his recent decrees giving him immunity from judicial oversight and the charter that was rushed through an assembly packed with allies.

The presidency has been locked in a tug of war with the powerful judiciary and secular and Christian activists since Morsi granted himself far-reaching powers on Nov. 22 in a bid to pre-empt an expected decision by the Supreme Constitutional Court on Sunday to dissolve the constitutional panel, as it had done the Islamist-led parliament earlier this year.

Morsi also decreed that courts cannot dissolve the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament, known as the Shura Council - another decision slated to be before the Constitution Court on Sunday. In protest, most of the nation's judges have gone on strike.

It was not clear if Egypt's highest court would go ahead with Sunday's session. Any move to do so would be a direct challenge to Morsi and could further undermine the charter's legitimacy. Judges also have threatened to boycott observing the referendum, and the secular opposition promised a civil disobedience campaign.

"After receiving this draft constitution, and out of keenness to build the nation's institutions without delay or stalling, I will issue today the call for a public referendum on this draft charter on Saturday, Dec. 15," Morsi said. "I pray to God and hope that it will be a new day of democracy in Egypt."

The dispute has thrown Egypt into a fresh round of turmoil after months of protests, rising crime and economic woes. It also has mobilized an increasingly cohesive opposition leadership of prominent liberal and secular politicians - a contrast to the leaderless youth uprising last year that toppled Mubarak.

Late on Saturday, a few thousand pro-Morsi supporters gathered outside the building of the Supreme Constitutional Court and set up tents, heightening the tension.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland lamented the lack of consensus in Egypt's constitution-writing process.

But other U.S. officials said there were internal debates over whether to criticize the draft constitution for limiting freedom of expression, failing to grant freedom of worship, criminalizing blasphemy and eroding women's rights guarantees.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations.

Acknowledging the disagreements, Morsi said he didn't want to delay the transition and said the draft constitution is another brick in Egypt's democratic experience. He also called for a national dialogue in his nationally televised address to the constitutional assembly.